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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Commission - Minutes - 04/21/2022 WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING April 21, 2022, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hybrid in person at 222 LaPorte Ave and online via Zoom 4/21/202 2 – MINUTES Page 1 1. CALL TO ORDER 5:31 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL • Commissioners Present: Jason Tarry (Chairperson), John Primsky, Kent Bruxvoort, Paul Herman, Jordan Radin, Rick Kahn, Randy Kenyon • Commissioners Absent - Excused: Greg Steed (Vice Chairperson), Tyler Eldridge • Staff Members Present: Jason Graham, Adam Bromley, Lori Clements, Mary Evans, Michael Neale, Lance Smith, Mariel Miller, Donnie Dustin, John Song, Kendall Minor, Marcus Coldiron, Eric Potyondy 3. AGENDA REVIEW • Chairperson Jason Tarry briefly summarized items on the agenda 4. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION • None 5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES CHAIRPERSON TARRY ASKED FOR COMMENTS AND REVISIONS ON THE MONTH DAY MINUTES. Commissioner Herman moved to approve the March 17 minutes. Commissioner Kahn seconded the motion. Vote on the motion: it passed unanimously, 7-0 6. NEW BUSINESS a. Staff Reports (Attachments available upon request) i. Financial Monthly Report (meeting packet only) ii. Memo: Quarterly Cameron Peak Fire Update and Timeline March 2022 (Meeting packet only) WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 4/21/2022 – MINUTES Page 2 iii. Water Resources Monthly Report Water Resources Engineers Donnie Dustin and Michael Neale introduced themselves to new and existing Commissioners and presented a high-level explanation of the Water Resources Monthly Report as well as an overview of the water supply for the year. Discussion Highlights A Commissioner inquired about the average percentages of the water supply from the Horsetooth Reservoir and Poudre River. Mr. Neale responded that it ends up about half from each on average annually, and Mr. Dustin added that there are other factors regarding the amount treated, but they generally try to treat as much water from the Poudre River as they can in accordance to direct flow rights. The Commissioner inquired if the percentage of Horsetooth Reservoir’s intake was much higher in March due to a recent fire or other factor affecting the river, to which Mr. Dustin responded that a big reason was the continued work done at the diversion through the first part of March in the Poudre River. A Commissioner inquired when Northern Water would make the decision on an additional 20% of storage, and Mr. Dustin responded that the decision had been made the previous week. A Commissioner asked if the water storages are on track to what’s been seen in the past, to which Mr. Dustin replied that they are above average. A Commissioner inquired if the abnormally dry month of February is any source of concern. Mr. Dustin responded that they’re not concerned but are very curious how dry of a summer is ahead depending on weather. Ultimately, they’ll have a better idea of allocation once Colorado-Big Thompson (CBT) System defines their quota. iv. 2021 Water Conservation Annual Report Water Conservation Specialist Mariel Miller presented on the 2021 Water Conservation Annual Report. The Water Conservation Team supports policy, community, and operational goals set by the Water Efficiency Plan, the main metric goal being 130 gallons per capita per day (GPCD) by 2030. 2021 resulted in 139 GPCD and 160 million gallons of savings attributed to water conservation programs and service. The five key focus areas include leveraging Advanced Meter Fort Collins data and capabilities; promoting and supporting greater outdoor water efficiency; encouraging greater integration of water efficiency into land use planning and building codes; expanding commercial and industrial sector strategies; and increasing community water literacy. Discussion Highlights A Commissioner pointed out that the actual number of leak alert notifications WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 4/21/2022 – MINUTES Page 3 sent is 100,000 rather than 10,000 as it was written on the slides. The Commissioner inquired about the Leak Alert Program and the rate of participation from the community. Ms. Miller clarified that participation is set to opt out of the program rather than to opt in. The Commissioner, however, had noticed on their account that they were not opted in, though they’d not set up an account before to opt out, to which Ms. Miller responded that she’ll inform the Leak Alert Program Manager. Another Commissioner inquired about the number of participants in other conservation programs. Ms. Miller answered that the number is about 11,000 participants, including webinar and event attendants. b. Regular Items (Attachments available upon request) i. Meter Data Management Upgrade (MDMS) Off-Cycle Appropriation Request Adam Bromley, Interim Utilities Deputy Director of Light and Power, presented on the Meter Data Management System, which is a database that stores historical energy usage and water consumption data for every Utilities customer and provides validation of that incoming data, as well as estimating and editing that data when data is missing or incorrect, a process called VEE (Validation Estimating Editing). Discussion Highlights A Commissioner requested clarification as to the reason why the appropriation needs to be made. Mr. Bromley responded that the new version of the software has a fundamental change in the architecture, and so the vendor had found that migration efforts and transitions were more difficult than anticipated without vendor support. Another Commissioner asked and Mr. Bromley confirmed that there are foreseeable security risks if the upgrade isn’t made. Another Commissioner inquired if the vendor has made the upgrade from version 7.2 straight to 9.0. Mary Evans responded that the vendor has successfully made the upgrade before. She went on to add that the appropriation includes a project management professional from the vendor. Commissioner Kahn moved that the Water Commission recommend City Council support an off-cycle appropriation of Water reserves that will fund vendor support of a major version upgrade of the Utilities Meter Data Management System (MDMS)? Commissioner Bruxvoort seconded the motion. WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 4/21/2022 – MINUTES Page 4 Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 7-0 ii. Intergovernmental Agreement for Platte River Power Authority Technical Support Services Customer Support Senior Manager Lori Clements presented on the revised Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for Platte River Power Authority Technical Support Services. Platte River provides the technical support for the Customer Information System (CIS) for Fort Collins and Longmont. Discussion Highlights A Commissioner inquired if there are any perceived downsides in approving the agreement, to which Ms. Clements responded that she saw no significant downside, as the agreement can be renewed until the City obtains a new CIS. The reason for Platte River’s involvement is because the billing system was shared between the two cities, and so it made sense to leverage the technical services from Platte River. A Commissioner inquired about the expected implementation of a new CIS, to which Ms. Clements responded that the request for proposal (RFP) is expected to be issued later this year and implementation would occur early next year for a roll out period of typically 2 years, until which the current CIS will need continued support through the IGA. Commissioner Primsky moved that the Water Commission recommend City Council approve of a new Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Platte River Power Authority for technical support services. Commissioner Herman seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it passed unanimously, 7-0 iii. Graywater Ordinance Water Conservation Specialist Mariel Miller presented on the development of a graywater ordinance, a Council Priority for 2021-2023, about which staff had previously presented information to the Council at a work session on November 23, 2021. Council directed staff to develop a draft ordinance that meets the State’s Water Quality Regulation 86 (graywater standards) and is in accordance with local water rights. The purpose of this memo and presentation was to inform the Water Commission on the development of a proposed graywater ordinance and request a recommendation to the City Council on this policy direction. WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 4/21/2022 – MINUTES Page 5 Discussion Highlights A Commissioner asked whether the City has considered to incentivize the program for developers or existing homeowners. Ms. Miller responded that there’s the potential to update the point systems for metro-districts to include graywater, as well as opportunities to obtain funding to create incentives for developers—modeling Denver and Castle Rock that have already implemented a graywater ordinance—but establishing the ordinance would be the first step in gaining traction for funding. A Commissioner inquired if there was any way to quantify the cost to establish this program, citing that the cost to implement will likely end up being quite high in comparison to actual water saved, with the concern being that it would take resources away from City staff. Chief Building Official Marcus Coldiron responded that it has yet to be quantified—and difficult to quantify—as there are not many permitting applications or processes that can be modeled after for this type of ordinance. This is the type of project, however, that is often frontloaded, where the time, effort, and expenses would be spent earlier on developing the ordinance and implementation, but then would likely become a “slow burn” for actual projects and developments and would not expect a large increase in staff time or resources. A Commissioner questioned this as a wise priority for the City Council, considering the significant rise in cost of materials, which would increase the payback time on a graywater system, and staff time and energy. They did not feel that 29 homes in Castle Rock and 3 homes in Denver were enough to spend the resources required to model and pursue an ordinance of this nature. Another Commissioner responded, however, that there is a real scarcity of water in Colorado, and this is one potential way to explore to save water for new development or existing homes. They expressed that the upfront cost is indeed concerning, but it would be something that builders would likely want to consider. Another Commissioner wondered about the return on investment, considering the true cost of water saved to the system from water purchased. City Attorney Eric Potyondy clarified, however, that the water supply requirement, or other water-related development fees, currently would not be reduced with the implementation of a graywater system because a backup or redundant potable water supply is required; therefore, the system could be turned off at anytime. He added that it could also be due to a level of uncertainty of how much water it would actually save. The Commissioner expressed concern about system adoptability and possible system failure if a home is sold to someone who does not commit to upkeep, the cost then coming back to the new homeowner. Another Commissioner expressed that they could see the potential if the water could be used for irrigation or landscape use, but if it’s simply for toilet flushing, it doesn’t appear to be a significant offset. Another Commissioner simply inquired if City staff has the bandwidth to complete the WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 4/21/2022 – MINUTES Page 6 legwork to plan and implement the ordinance, to which Water Director Jason Graham responded that there are standards that staff follow, but they ultimately support City Council’s priorities, along with the responsibility to explore possible water conservation methods. A Commissioner noted that Douglas County’s water situation is not analogous to Larimer County as they have mostly well water, and Denver hardly utilizes the system with only 3 homes. Utilities Executive Director Kendall Minor commented that these are items to explore for City Council priorities and are not currently spending exorbitant amounts of resources, but the uptick in spendings will occur if the Water Commission and ultimately City Council approves to move forward with the priority in order to ensure that the ordinance is established correctly. Another Commissioner commented that they are conflicted—they’d like to see people have the choice, as there are no obligations to implement the system, but the thing that gives pause is that in the context of a total hydrology system, it doesn’t seem to necessarily save water because it removes water from downstream. Mr. Potyondy added that it ultimately comes down to who gets to reuse the water, as water in Colorado typically gets reused about 7 times before crossing state lines; consumptive use may stay the same when either using either graywater or treated water, and that may affect Utilities’ bottom line, but on a holistic level, it may provide a different conclusion. Another Commissioner inquired if City Council requested a technical cost-benefit analysis, considering direct and indirect costs, electricity involved in the system, chemical additives, etc. Commissioner Herman moved that the Water Commission recommend City Council approve of a local graywater ordinance in accordance with the State’s standards, as outlined in Regulation 86, and local water rights. Commissioner Tarry seconded the motion. Vote on the Motion: it does not pass, 1-6 Commissioner Bruxvoort cited that the resources, whether tied to human or materials, are not justified. Commissioner Tarry would like to see more resources provided for implementation. Commissioner Kahn knows it has applicable use, but cannot agree with it in its current position. Commissioner Primsky put forth that the cost far exceeds benefits. Commissioner Radin supports the principle of reusing water but there does not seem to be enough information provided to support at the moment. Commissioner Kenyon was in agreement that there doesn’t seem to be enough cost offset to support. WATER COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING 4/21/2022 – MINUTES Page 7 7. COMMISSIONER REPORTS Commissioners commented that they’d love to have a tour of the Drake Water Reclamation Facility. Others also suggested Meadow Springs Ranch, Halligan Dam, Joe Wright Reservoir, other outfalls, etc. 8. OTHER BUSINESS The Commission would like Water Director Jason Graham to re-visit the 2022 Work Plan recommend which priorities . They’d also like to see what other City Council priorities regarding water issues. 9. ADJOURNMENT 7:58 p.m. These minutes were approved by the Water Commission on May 19, 2022.